“We were doing a giveaway for 500 survival kits. We had people as soon as the doors opened at midnight running through the Grand Court and we had organized chaos,” Shema Krinsky with the Mall At Robinson said.

Many shoppers waited for hours just for the thrill of the hunt for bargains on Black Friday.

“I love it. The hustle and bustle of it all, it’s the best time of the year. A lot of good sales, it’s a tradition too. My grandma, my mom do this every year,” Ashley Spiker said.

“We all have siblings, we all have things to buy and this is the time to do it,” Greg Corrins said.

While they came empty handed, it didn’t take long to be loaded down with bags of merchandise. Some are refusing to let the economy put a damper on their holiday spending plans.

“I’m probably in the $1,000 range. Try to keep it down from there,” Jen Masilunas said.

By 6 a.m., there was another mad rush by shoppers who were anxious to cash in on deals at JC Penney.

“Next year, I am going to be in this parking lot. I’m going to sleep in my car. You all will probably interview me out there in a sleeping bag,” Brenda Wagner said.

This was the first year that the Mall at Robinson opened its door at midnight for Black Friday.

However, the response was so overwhelming that we can expect a repeat in 2013.

The malls weren’t the only places packed with shoppers.

Places like Best Buy in Monroeville were packed with shoppers even before midnight.

Many were looking to snap up the deals on red-hot gadgets like tablets and smartphones.